Tulsa County Outreach Brings Something Good To Town Forgotten By Many

3-Year-Old Victor keeps his mom, Peggy Velasquez-Huerta, on her toes.

"If he's not constant in motion, keep an eye on him," Velasquez-Huerta said.

She grew up in Oakhurst and was thrilled when construction started at her old elementary school.

"That is so awesome! My kid can actually go to the place I went to school. It's a different name, but still the same place," said Velasquez-Huerta

That place is Square One Compassion, an Early Learning Center serving kids ages six weeks to four-years -old.

Founder, Matt Blair, said he saw a gap that needed to be filled in Western Tulsa County and Eastern Creek County.

"We want to help families, and we want to help communities as best we can through this community hub we are building here," said Blair.

The Early Learning Center opened in September, and a medical center and fitness center are also in the works. They also plan to build a community garden and even hope to open a restaurant some day.

"We know that there's a lot of great work going on all over Tulsa, and we are thankful for that but we realized there was a need here," Blair said.

It all started when Square One Compassion purchased the abandoned Jane Addams School in February, giving the boarded up windows, old chalkboards and empty hallways, purpose again.

"We're a not-for-profit organization, so that means the excess revenue that we bring in from these centers--we're going to use to pour back into these communities," said Blair.

He has spent most of his life ministering to families in the area serving alongside Sand Springs native, Gene Case, who passed away three years ago.

Blair thought it was fitting to name the site in memory of him.

"Everybody in Sand Springs knew Gene Case. He was quite a character by the way," Mike Case said.

He said his brother, Gene, had a passion for helping kids. Case believes giving back to the area that raised them is a family tradition.

"We kind of like to help the underdog, they're not Broken Arrow, they're not Jenks. It's a good community, but it's not huge and when they do projects, they need support," said Case.

Funding a place that gives moms, like Peggy Velasquez-Huerta, financial assistance and hope.

"Just accepting that I don't have much money but I am trying to give as much as I can," Peggy Velasquez-Huerta said.

"To be able to financially come alongside these families is one of the things we absolutely love to do. It's the heartbeat of Square One Compassion," said Blair.

Velasquez-Huerta doesn't have a job right now, but Square One is even helping her get her resume into the hands of potential employers. And helping kids, like Victor, still get the education they deserve.

"We want to be able to holistically, mind, body spirit be able to help these families, these students and in doing so long term, we believe that they'll have the best chance of success," Blair said.